Welsh organic milk co-op

PLANS to launch a Welsh organic milk marketing co-operative were unveiled this week at the Welsh Dairy Show in Carmarthen.

Ten producers have formed the Organic Milk Marketing Association of Wales and have committed their 5m litres of milk to a selling group. They hope others will join to create an organic milk pool deep enough to attract new processing facilities west of Offas Dyke.

"Members are concerned about the future of Milk Marque Organics, which is the main buyer in Wales, especially if it is fragmented when the co-op is split up," said association secretary, Roger Kerr. "Producers need market certainty and this can be supplied by a strong quota holding marketing organisation devoted exclusively to organic milk and the best interests of Welsh organic farmers."

He added that members saw their job as efficiently getting high quality milk out of cows and had no interest in direct involvement in milk processing. They have applied for Welsh Assembly funding to establish the new selling co-op. &#42